Abstract
Xerostomia is a common complication of irradiation for cancer treatment and causes difficulty in swallowing, speaking and chewing, thereby affecting the patient’s quality of life and even interrupting the treatment course itself. Currently, the only treatment for xerostomia is palliative; thus, radical solutions are required. This study aimed to establish a mouse model of radiation-induced salivary gland damage, and identify potential indicators that can be used to evaluate novel preventive interventions. Mice were shielded with a 6-mm lead plate, leaving a 1-cm opening to expose salivary glands region. The mice were administered a single dose of radiation ranging from 0 to 30 Gy, and assessed the salivary flow rate, histological structure of the salivary glands, and expression of p53. We found that the period between 3 days and 8 weeks after 15 Gy irradiation was appropriate for observing a decrease in salivary flow rate. Furthermore, macronuclei were observed in the parotid glands at 8 weeks after a dose of 15 or 30 Gy. We developed an irradiation method using a 6-mm lead plate that avoided mouse lethality, and a dose of 15 Gy was found to be both necessary and sufficient to induce a salivary disfunctions.
